Teen Pregnancies Continue To Decline, New Report Shows

New government figures add to evidence of a decline in teen pregnancies across the nation and point to a notably large drop in births among Hispanic teens, NPR's Jennifer Ludden tells our Newscast Desk.

-- An especially steep drop since the recent recession. It finds birth rates down in nearly every state, and among both black and white women ages 15 to 19.

-- A striking decline in the birth rate among Hispanic teens, which fell at least 40% in nearly two dozen states. The possible reasons include: the recession that began in late 2007 and the slow recovery once growth resumed in mid-2009; and efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.

Some more details from the report:

-- "Teen birth rates fell steeply in the United States from 2007 through 2011, resuming a decline that began in 1991 but was briefly interrupted in 2006 and 2007. The overall rate declined 25% from 41.5 per 1,000 teenagers aged 15–19 in 2007 to 31.3 in 2011 — a record low."

-- "The number of births to teenagers aged 15–19 also fell from 2007 to 2011, by 26% to 329,797 in 2011."

-- "Rates fell at least 30% in seven states during 2007–2011. Rates in Arizona and Utah declined the most, 35% each."

-- "The smallest declines, ranging from 15% to 19%, were reported for 12 states and the District of Columbia (DC)."

-- "Changes were not significant in just two states — North Dakota and West Virginia."